Player selection bonus games are well-known in the gaming industry. In certain known player selection bonus games, a gaming device displays a plurality of positions to a player, some of which are associated with awards and at least one of which is associated with a terminator or terminating symbol. In these games, the gaming device enables the player to select positions until the player selects a position associated with the terminator or terminating symbol, at which time the gaming device provides the player with any earned awards, and the bonus game ends. In other player selection bonus games, the gaming device enables the player to select a certain number of positions for a play of the game, and provides any awards based on which of the positions were selected. In one known variation, the player may earn additional selection opportunities in the bonus game by picking one or more of the selections associated with an outcome which results in more picks. These selection bonus games typically do not require any player skill, nor do they enable players to utilize strategy, as the player randomly selects symbol positions for plays of the bonus game.
Other known player selection games are matching games. These matching games generally require a player to select displayed positions and display a symbol at each selected position. Such matching games typically continue to display symbols at previously-selected positions until the player selects two or more matching symbols, at which time the player may be provided with an award. Thus, certain known selection games which include matching games do not require an element of skill, as the previously selected symbols remain revealed even after selection.
Certain known games are multiplayer games that enable a plurality of players to simultaneously participate in a play of the game. The number of players playing such games can vary, and some multiplayer games enable a single player to play the game alone. However, many multiplayer games that enable only one player to play alone suffer from an inability to provide an exciting and entertaining game experience if only a single player is playing the game. Thus, certain known games discourage a first player from beginning to play the game, as that first player's gaming experience will be substantially different than if a plurality of players were simultaneously playing.
Certain known multiplayer bonus games are synchronous games, such that each of a plurality of players participating in a play of the game begin and end the play of the game simultaneously. That is, when players of these bonus games obtain access to the bonus game (such as by receiving a designated winning symbol combination in a play of a primary game), the gaming device can require the players to wait a designated time period to allow other players to potentially gain access to the bonus game. This waiting period can be frustrating to players who have to wait for a relatively long time to participate in the play of the bonus game.
Accordingly, a need exists for gaming systems, gaming devices and methods providing new and exciting player selection games to individual players and to multiple players simultaneously which enable players to use skill to determine awards for plays of the player selection games. A further need exists for gaming systems, gaming devices, and methods providing new and exciting games to increase player enjoyment regardless of a quantity of players playing the game.